Relationship between acres of tomatoes grown, yields per acre, contacts producers had with extension agents and selected characteristics of the tomato production operation of Lauderdale County, Tennessee, tomato producers

The purpose of the study was to characterize Lauderdale County tomato producers, and to determine the relationship between the number of contacts producers had with the Agricultural Extension agents, acres of tomatoes planted, yields per acre, and their use of recommended tomato production practices. Thirty tomato producers were randomly selected and personal interviews were conducted by County Extension agents. Interview schedules were developed by University of Tennessee Horticulture Specialists and the Agricultural Extension Education Department and agents conducted the survey during the fall of 1980. Information recorded included their use of recommended tomato production practices and the number of contacts producers had with the Extension office over a twelve-month period.

The data were coded and punched on computer cards, and computations were made by The University of Tennessee Computing Center. One-way analysis of variance F-test was used to determine the significance and strength of the relationship between the dependent and independent variables. The .05 probability level was accepted as significant.

Major findings included the following:

1. The producers planted an average of 6.9 acres of tomatoes in 1980 and their average yield was 5.2 tons harvested per acre.

2. Thirty percent of the producers had not attended any Extension meeting; however, over 83 percent of the producers reported Extension as being their primary source of tomato information.

3. Sixty-six percent of the producers did not fertilize by soil test recommendations and 60 percent of the producers did not lime by soil test recommendations.

4. Producers who fertilized and limed by soil test (33.3 percent and 40 percent, respectively) made significantly more contacts with Extension through meetings, office visits, telephone calls, and farm visits than did those producers who did not fertilize and lime by soil test recommendations.

5. The number of Extension contacts (i.e., meetings, visits to the Extension office, telephone calls to the Extension office, and farm visits received from Extension agents) was not significantly related to the variety of tomatoes planted with the exception of tomato production and marketing meetings attended.

6. Producers who applied fungicides to tomatoes before planting them in the field attended significantly more tomato production and marketing meetings and received significantly more farm visits from Extension agents.

7. Producers who applied fungicides more often made significantly more telephone calls to the Extension office.

8. Producers who fertilized and limed by soil test recommendations planted significantly more acres of tomatoes than did those producers who did not use these recommended practices.

9. Producers who applied fungicides to tomatoes before planting them had significantly more yield per acre than did those producers who did not use the practice.

10. Producers who used the greatest number of insecticides had significantly larger yields per acre than the producers who used only one or two insecticides.

Implications and recommendations were also made.